Broken Bonds
by Tiffy8o8
Summary: Imprinting had screwed Leah over once before, and when she finally let her guard down, it screwed her over again. The Cullens move away to Alaska in order to preserve their identity and Jacob, leaves behind the pack to follow his imprint. Unknown to the fact that he hadn't just left his pack behind, but something that ties him to Leah.
1. Prologue

Alright, so this is my new story, for those of you who have read my prior stories, I hope you see my writing improve! And I know I said I had a Sam story coming out, but it's under works! Hope you all enjoy! xx

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Broken Bonds

Prologue:

Her alpha had left her; stranded and alone, while he frolicked hand in hand with his less than a year old imprint. And while prior to his imprinting, it used to be herself that would bring a smile upon his face. She was the one that would invert his frown into a smile. And for a while, it used to be him that was slowly mending the strands of her broken heart.

When he imprinted, he re-open the wounds caused from her first serious boyfriend and cousin. He promised her a life that the two would lead together, far away from powers of imprinting. The two made up the fanbase of the 'I Hate Imprinting' club, but he had betrayed her and ripped away the trust she had built for him, just like Sam had. She heard about his imprinting from Embry Call, not from the imprinter himself.

He was oblivious to her pain, most were, for she was able to hide it so well – better than when Sam and Emily had torn her apart. She no longer used bitterness and sarcasm to blanket her pain. Instead, she stayed silent when she could, didn't speak unless she had to. She isolated herself not wanting to put her pain amongst other, she was inert. She strayed away from others, much more her pack brothers than anyone else. They once felt her pain through the pack mind; she didn't want them to know about it again. Her brothers didn't know what to think about her lack of socialization, for they didn't know much about the beta – alpha relationship that was built. They thought it was some girl issues, Seth didn't really want to interfere, and Embry was glad to some degree that she left him alone. Quil, he didn't pay much attention for it was usually occupied with thoughts of Claire. Her alpha was too wrapped up with his imprint to realize that his beta was breaking before his eyes.

Deep in Alaska with the Denali Coven, Jacob didn't feel quite at ease. He pushed the pain aside, thinking it was just home sickness. Edward and Jasper knew better. It wasn't home sickness that made his heart ache. Because deep down inside, he knew his Beta was hurting, and yet, he chose to leave anyways.

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Read and review! Let me know what you all think! xx Sorry for any mistakes!


	2. Ashamed or Embarrassed, Which is it?

Thank you all so much for the feedback (: I'm glad I got so many follows! I had trouble with this chapter because I had so many ideas playing in my head, but I settled down with this one. And as for questions, Clara Meliza, the prologue was a bit shorter and I do intend on having longer chapters (this one is rather short too if I say so myself.) But I will try to update this as constant as I can, so enjoy this chapter (:

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Chapter One: Ashamed or Embarrassed, Which is it?

Today was Leah's eighteenth birthday and she had finally felt at ease. Sam had come home last week after disappearing for two. Sam had shown up to Leah's doorstep to ensure her he was okay, and that she could call off the search team. He apologized for worrying her and then promised he'd be at her birthday party with the most perfect gift in the world.

Leah was ecstatic, her cousin Emily had came from the Makah Reservation just last evening and the two had gotten practically no sleep as they stayed up gossiping all night. Leah had confided in Emily how she felt about Sam's disappearance and even told her about how she felt that he was being distant after his return. Emily responded with some words, in Leah's favor, about how Sam was being selfish, and how he should explain himself. Leah wasn't one that usually shared her feelings, but she felt that Emily was the only one who she could tell anything to and not be judged.

Leah spent the entire party welcoming guests and playing host alongside with Sue. She barely had the time to socialize, so when she didn't see Sam, she had assumed he didn't show. When in actuality, he bumped into Emily while she was bringing out a platter of food, took one look into her eyes, fell in love, and then ran out.

Sam had gone to Old Quil's to learn that he had imprinted on Emily. Learning that he had found a soul mate made him giddy with joy, but the fact that his "soul mate" was his current girlfriend's cousin – practically sister – made his stomach churn. He had gone to the Clearwater household, intending on terminating his relationship with Leah, and then telling Emily what had happened the day of Leah's birthday. When Sam had arrived, Seth and Sue were on their way out and Seth had informed him that Leah had gone out with Rachel before she headed back to the university. Emily opted to stay at home and she was in the kitchen.

Leah waved goodbye to Rachel as she pulled away in Billy's old orange pick-up truck. She brushed the rest of the sand off her legs before entering the house. Upon entering the house, she didn't notice anything at first. She went to call out for Emily, feeling a bit guilty for putting off their plans so she could go hang out with Rachel on her last day in La Push (but in her defense, she had extended the invitation to Emily) she stopped herself when she heard the slight sounds of a grunt and moan coming from the kitchen.

At first, Leah stood there, a bit confused when she then realized that the grunts and moans were provoked by sexual intercourse. Her face went through a series of mixed emotions. At first, she thought it could have been her parents, but then realized that her dad had gone fishing with Charlie, so it obviously wasn't them. And then Seth flashed her mind, the kid was months away from turning fourteen, but with the rapid growth of children in today's modern society, you could never be too sure.

Leah strode into the kitchen, determined to find out who was fucking in her kitchen. It was where they had dinner, had the people have no shame? She swung the door open and stopped in her tracks when she saw the two assailants. The door swung back and nearly hit her in the face; thank goodness she had been paying attention.

Emily was propped up against on the kitchen counter, a tray of cookies cooling beside her as Sam had his pants around his ankles. Emily's – Leah's sundress – was lifted up to her waist, Leah spotted her orange panties near the dining table. Sam's fingers were laced with Emily's and he was suckling on the flesh beneath her chin. Sam was too busy thrusting into Emily, and practically fucking nibbling on her for either one of them to notice that Leah had come home two minutes ago.

"What in the fuck is this!" Leah shrieked. Sam quickly slid out of Emily and bashfully pulled up his shorts in a matter of three seconds.

Emily's face flushed a crimson red as she smoothed out the dress and fixed her lengthy hair.

"Lee-lee t-this…" Sam spoke while panting. He was catching his breath, not quite sure of what to say. "I – wait, - no, this isn't what it.." He had trouble with what he wanted to say. He had worked up an entire speech, wanting to let her down easily. This isn't how he intended it would go. But he couldn't help himself. Emily looked so good in the dress, and they were home alone. "Let me explain." He settled with that.

Leah let out a dark, bone chilling laugh. "It's pretty clear as to what's going on." She spat as her eyes went a dark, almost black hue. Leah's eyes snapped away shooting towards Emily's mortified face. For a split second, Sam thought about picking Emily up and running out the door in fear that Leah would hurt his imprint. "How long huh?" She demanded. Emily's silence made her irritation plummet through the sky. "How long has _this _been going on!" Her eyes darted back to Sam as she soon began addressing him, "Is this why you were gone? You were fucking _her_!" Leah said, her words dripping with disgust.

"No, I…" he trailed off, not being able to say what he wanted, to give her the full explanation as to why he had disappeared.

"You what Sam!" She screamed. "Don't lie to me." She spoke, softer but her menacing glare gave away her anger.

"Lee-Lee.." He suddenly found the courage to speak as he felt his imprint tremble with fear beside him. "Calm down, let's tal," before he could even finish, a fork went flying in the air, towards him.

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down! Who do you think you are!" Her eyes were fused with anger, and it scared him just a bit of how dangerous she could be when she was angry. Whoever said "women are dangerous when angry," obviously hasn't met Leah Clearwater, for it was a proven fact that she was lethal.

"Lee- I- uh.." His words once again were clogged up in his throat.

"Emily," Leah growled. "For fucks sake, you better explain what the fuck is going on," her eyes darted back at Sam and she then said, "Since this dumbass can't seem to find his words."

Emily cowered in fear behind Sam as she said, "Leah…" Her voice was trembling with fear as her body was also. "I – we didn't mean for this to happen." _We? I wonder just how long there's been a fucking 'we.' _Leah thought. "I'm so so sorry." Emily felt tears prick her eyes. Of course she was the one caught with her panties down and Leah's boyfriend in between her legs, and yet she'd be the one that would cry about it.

Emily didn't know what was happening. One moment she was pulling a tray of cookies from the oven, and then the next she was startled by Sam who was admiring her from the doorway. She didn't even question why or how he got in. All she knew was that, the moment she looked into his eyes, she was pulled in practically. Locked in, even. She felt a surge in her body that inched her closer to Sam; it was like there was an empty piece inside her that was suddenly filled. They were locked in a vise held gaze until she was foolish enough to touch the hot pan and burned her finger. Sam rushed over, and his sudden embrace had made her feel so good. It was like they were being pulled together with some invisible force that she couldn't explain. Emily didn't know what overcame her, one moment her finger was being kissed by Sam, and the next Leah was shrieking her head off in the kitchen.

"Hey kids." Charlie and Harry had strut through the door, holding the catch of the day in a cooler that they used to hold their collection, totally in oblivion as to what happened. They were too wrapped up in having fished the most fish all year that they didn't feel the tension in the air. Sam's felt the familiar feeling rippling through his skin as Leah's eyes hardened. He was still a relatively new shifter and didn't want to phase right in the middle of the Clearwater's kitchen and have to explain to Charlie and Emily why there was a giant wolf in his spot. He rushed out past Leah, and ran into the forest while mumbling an,

"I'm sorry Leah."

Leah, having been fed up with all the frustration went in the opposite direction of Sam, and exited the kitchen and headed for the upstairs towards her bedroom. Emily was snapped out of her momentarily daze and went to follow when the swinging kitchen door slapped her in the face.

"Oh Jesus Emily," Leah heard her father's faint voice as she ascended up the steps. "Are you alright?"

_Serves the bitch right._ Leah thought, right before she slammed her door shut.

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And now let me know what you think (: xx


	3. Realization Sets in

Here's chapter two for ya! Sorry for the delay, I was just proof reading to make sure I didn't have any mistakes (though I'm sure that proof reading at night isn't the best idea) Enjoy reading! Xx

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Chapter Two: Realization Sets in

Leah could hardly contain her anger. She rushed into her room, wanting to relish in her own self wallow, only to find that half her room was occupied with Emily's belongings. She shook her head, wanting that never ending vision to just stop. But she couldn't shake the sight of watching Sam with another woman, with Emily. Leah reached under her bed, sliding out the large suitcase that once contained Emily's clothes and things. She tossed the suitcase across the room, not quite caring what it hit.

Leah stomped angrily down the stairs, causing her father to send her a quick glance before running a towel over Emily's blood dripping nose. A smirk pulled at Leah's face as she saw her cousin bleeding. Charlie, one of her father's best friends was fetching some ice for Emily. Charlie had given Leah a look of concern as he was grabbing some ice from the freezer and packing it into a rag. "You alright Leah?" Charlie asked, but before he could even get a response from her, she was already out of the house. Charlie and Harry shared a look, both shaking the thought to be some "teenage girl," thing.

She stormed into the forest that was just in their back yard and began to feel something wash over her. It was as if the nature, or the freedom of being outside, had put some ease into her. Her strides soon relaxed and she had found her legs senselessly taking her to a place where she knew she'd be able to relax. The meadow in the middle of the forest.

Leah was reminiscing, of the days when she was younger and her father would take her to the meadow. Leah remembered of the stories her father would tell her as he sat on the log, and she'd be resting at his feet after releasing her energy by running in circles. He would run his fingers through her hair and the words would slip out of his mouth with simplicity. He'd tell her of when she was a child, and was normally being fussy or was irate, he'd gather her in his arms and take her for a walk out into the forest to the very clearing they sat at. And as she grew up, he'd take her out to the meadow so she could release all her excess energy instead of being cooped up in the house and break something of Sue's. As she entered her stages of being a teenager, she would go out into the meadow on her own, just to clear her mind.

She took a seat at the edge of the log, her eyes shut and she was assaulted with memories of when she'd lean back against her father's legs and slowly breathed herself into slumber. She wished that she could just back track to those days. Back to the time when she didn't have interest in boys and when there was no care in the world but that of what was for dinner, and how she could annoy her little brother. But now, as she was now considered an adult woman, she had many things that flustered her mind. For one, she had received her acceptance letter last week to the University in Seattle. She had also received an acceptance letter to UCLA in California, but she couldn't handle the thought of being so far away from home. And then there was the thought of how she would survive on her own without her parents for a semester of school. And it surely wasn't the last of her problems, but the shocking news of Emily and Sam. Leah desperately wished to be a kid again; the skinned knees she got were much easier to heal than the broken heart she just received. She thought how ironic it was, how when you were a child, you wished to be older, and when you finally aged, you wished to be a child again.

Her bottom lip quivered and Leah knew what was over taking her body. The goosebumps arose on her skin and she squeezed her trembling legs closer to her chest. She tried her best to fight back the tears but found that her attempt was futile, for a tear slid down her cheek. She took deep breathes, trying to calm herself but before she knew it, her eyes were betraying her were crying.

Leah had given up trying to stop crying. Instead, she buried her face deeper into her knees and clutched her legs tighter to her body as she was now practically curled up into a ball. If one were to see her, they'd realize just how torn up the female Clearwater was. To the people on the reservation, Leah Clearwater was a head strong girl who fought for anything she believed in. While she was sweet and genuine, she also had a strong head on her shoulders and a giant heart that tended to people.

But the Leah after today, felt nothing but weak. There was a pain clenching in her chest and it was almost as if her heart had shattered. She felt nothing but betrayal from the two people she had trusted with her heart. They did nothing but let her down. Her mind wandered to Sam. How could he do that to her? He knew that Emily was her best friend; it would've hurt just a tad bit less if he were to go for any other girl. But no, he chose Emily. Of all people.

More tears escaped her now bloodshot eyes, and she felt the cold droplets of rain splash against her skin as she sat on the damp forest floor. She ignored the fact that her shorts probably had grass stains on them by now and continued to let her eyes drain . Then thoughts of Emily flooded her mind. The endless nights when they would brush the tangles from each other's hair and play dress up. Or the days where they'd head out to the beach with Rachel and Rebecca and just soak up the warmth of the sun. Even memories of sitting together in the kitchen whipping up large batches of cookies and muffins assaulted her.

Leah couldn't believe how she had walked in on the two in her own kitchen, just days after she confided in Emily about her deepest feelings about Sam. The treachery of their actions only pricked at Leah's clenching heart. It felt as if someone was lacing a needle in and out of her chest, purposely poking at her heart. The rain picked up, and soon began to pour on Leah. Her hair was soaking wet as was the rest of her. A painful howl broke out through the other end of the forest. Leah could only think of the pain the wolf was feeling, and she knew that whatever it was, it didn't compare to the betrayal and disloyalty that her heart was aching with.

The weather, as if feeling Leah's pain, rained ruthlessly over the small town of La Push, trying desperately to wash away Leah's pain, thought it was of no help. The rain mirrored Leah's feelings, and she soon felt her body being blanketed with calmness. The rain had made her feel so cold that she was numb. Leah no longer felt a thing, and she was pushed into the abyss of sleep.

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When Leah awoke, she saw a pair of brown eyes looking down at her. She was hoping that everything she had witnessed, everything that she felt, was just a dream. But her senses returned to her, the once pinching in her chest made her realize that what she wanted to be a dream was indeed her reality.

"Hey sis." Seth's cheery voice chimed. It never ceased to amaze her, how her brother could always be happy, no matter what was going on. "What happened?" She could see the concern that was set in his eyes, but he had a smile that was graced upon his face, showing her that he really did care.

Leah took a deep breath, not answering Seth, and the pain in her chest eased just a bit, knowing that she had someone that cared for her. But the betrayal didn't leave; it was hard for her to push something like that to the side. The innocence of Seth had created a rippling through Leah's body. Just the thought of his soul being so kind and gentle had made her feel like complete shit. Normally, if she had caught Sam with another girl, Emily would be the first to hear what Leah had to think about the situation, but being that the _other girl _was Emily; Leah didn't know what to do. Seth was obviously right there, wanting to know what had gone on, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him. She couldn't taint his innocence.

Seth, seeing that Leah wouldn't answer, brought it upon himself to be the first to speak. "Dad was real worried about you. Said you just stormed out without saying a word. It was raining real hard Leah." She remembered that. The rain had felt so good to her, it momentarily blocked out the pain, made her feel numb. She looked towards her window to see that the rain had let up, but it was still gray outside. "Dad called Billy, asking if you were with Rachel, but he said that Rachel already left to head off to school." Leah felt a twinge of guilt for making her father worry. "But Sam found you, almost an hour later…" The mention of his name made the familiar feel of anger wash over her again. "You were asleep in the clearing and he brought you home."

Leah could just imagine. Sam holding her in his arms, her head resting upon his chest as his arm would be under the backside of her knees and the other supporting her back. Her body was raging with heat as anger spread throughout her. Seth noticed the change of behavior. He caught notice of her fists opening and clenching shut. "Do you want me to bring Emily in?" He looked around cautiously, hoping that his cousin would know how to soothe her.

Leah almost growled at Seth for suggesting such a ludicrous thing. But then she realized that Seth hadn't the slightest clue as to what happened earlier in the kitchen. The two Clearwater stared at each other, Seth's eyes were that of confusion for he didn't know what was with his sister, and Leah's of confusion because she didn't know if she should tell him or not. Their staring contest was cut short with a knock to her ajar door.

It was pushed open to reveal Sam, just in cutoffs with no shirt on. "Lee-Lee," he addressed. Leah squeezed the hell out of her comforter that was draped around her. "Can we talk?" He asked nervously. This was almost as bad as when he asked her out on their first date. Except the reason behind his uneasiness was different.

Seth stood to give the two privacy but stopped when Leah spat out a harsh, "No." Seth wasn't quite sure if it was directed towards Sam's request, or if it was towards Seth to not leave.

"Am I missing something here?" Seth asked, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. His eyes, moving to different objects around the room as he felt very awkward.

"Just leave! Please!" Leah pleaded, her eyes locked on the door behind Sam. Her body was recovering from being dehydrated from the crying she had done previously. Her body no longer numb and was aching with pain. Had she had the strength, she would've done more than just sit in her bed, but the warmth of her comforter felt so good, and her bed was swallowing her up.

"Lee-Lee,"

"Quit calling me that!" Leah cut him off abruptly.

"Leah," he spoke carefully, "just hear me out…" Sam begged.

Seth's eyes darted to Sam defensively as he saw Leah's hardened face. He looked into her eyes and it seemed that though she had a firm expression, her eyes displayed her sadness. "Sam, I think it's time for you to go." Seth crossed his arms and stood tall. Not that he was in comparison to Sam, but he was Leah's brother and would do anything to protect her. Seth wasn't quite sure what had happened, but he was certain that it was Sam's presence that was upsetting Leah.

Sam turned around hopelessly, realizing that he wouldn't be able to get the younger Clearwater to leave for just a minute so he'd be able to talk to Leah. Seth's eyes never left Sam until he was fully out of the room. As he was leaving, Sam heard Leah shout, "Take the slut with you!"

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"Leah Noel Clearwater!" Leah flinched inwards towards her pillow after hearing her mother's voice boom from downstairs. She looked at the clock beside her bed, her mother had just gotten off of work, and no doubt that the moment she walked through the doors, her father was already informing his wife of their teenage daughter's mystic behavior.

She could hear her mother's footsteps coming down the hall and she clutched Seth's hand. Seth had poked and prodded at Leah ever since Sam has left, and after getting an answer out of her, he felt just as angry as Leah did. His cousin, had pulled the ultimate betrayal, and Sam had broken his sister's heart!

Seth admitted, he had liked Sam while he was going out with Leah. He looked highly up at Sam, and respected him… well until he did the inevitable. Seth had gotten along well with Sam, and even enjoyed his company while he was around. Seth had always wanted a brother, and when Sam came around, it was almost as if he had one. Before dates, Sam would come over just a bit early so he could sneak in a few rounds of video games with Seth. Though after hearing that Sam had cheated on Leah, he couldn't help but feel so disgusted with the man he once looked up to.

Seth stayed in the room with Leah, not quite knowing if he should leave her side because Emily was still downstairs. He wasn't quite sure he could look at his cousin the same ever again, so he sat beside Leah, letting her rest her head on his shoulder while she cried. It was bit shocking to Seth, for he hadn't seen his sister cry in ages! She was the one wiping away other's tears, not her own.

Seth squeezed Leah's hand back, letting her know that he had her back. Sue barged into the room, her hands on her hips and she took in the sight of Leah. Any anger she was feeling was pushed aside as her maternal instincts kicked in. "Oh my baby! Are you alright?" She rushed to Leah's bedside, stroking her hair through Leah's long strands.

After being assured that Leah was alright, Sue returned to her previous state. "What is this I hear about you leaving for two hours without letting anyone know where you were going?" Sue's eyes were black with anger. Leah looked away from her mom, not having the heart to explain everything again. Seth noticed and spoke in his sister's defense.

"Mom,"

"Not now Seth!" Sue cut him off.

"Your father was worried sick! He said you rushed out, didn't tell anyone where you went. He called Billy asking if you were over with Rachel, only to find out Rachel had left an hour before you ran out. Sam found you out in the rain Leah, you were soaking wet and God knows how long you were sitting out there. I don't care how many layers of clothing you could have been wearing, staying out in the cold, and rain can seriously make you sick! You're lucky Sam found you when he did, or else you could have gotten hypothermia. And trust me, I've seen patients go through that, it's not fun at all! What were you thinking?" Sue spoke angrily. Sue tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for Leah to speak. "What do you have to say for yourself young lady?"

"Mom," Seth interrupted again, seeing that Leah was on the verge of tears.

"What is it son?" Sue turned to her youngest child.

"Mom, we should talk."

She put a hand up and stopped her son, "When I'm done with Leah," she paused, turning back to Leah, letting her know she wasn't off the hook.

"Mom, no really." Sue saw the determination on Seth's face, and let out a sigh of defeat. Curse her for creating such willful children. They should have really taught them "you fight for what you believe in," _after _"listen to what mommy and daddy say."

"Alright Seth, what is it son?" Sue was now downstairs; Emily was in the kitchen, her head buried into her arms as she was thinking to herself at the dining table.

Harry had finished frying up the fish and was seated next to Sue, since Seth thought that what he had to say should have been addressed to both his parents. Leah had such trouble telling Seth without choking on her tears, and Seth wasn't quite sure if he could get it all out without turning embarrassing shades of red.

"Geez, I don't even know how to put this." He rubbed the back of his neck, like he always did when he was nervous. His eyes were fixated on the ceiling fan.

"Seth, whatever it is, I'm sure it can't be too bad." Harry had urged his son to speak, thinking that it was something petty, like getting into a fight. Or maybe Seth had gotten a girlfriend. What he was hoping, didn't come quite as he was expecting.

"Sam,… he…" Seth wasn't quite sure how to word it.

"What happened to Sam?" Harry inquired. They had just seen Sam, a few hours ago when he returned Leah, but he didn't seem too out of the ordinary. Since Harry was on a member of the tribe's council, he was very well aware of the fact that Sam now possessed the ability to shift into a wolf, so nothing seemed to wrong with him when he was at their door with a knocked out Leah. Harry was sure that not much could have happened to Sam, if he was hurt, he couldn't be too seriously hurt, he'd heal in a matter of minutes, or seconds even.

"No, no, nothing happened _to _Sam," Seth stressed, "something happened that was … not really concerning Sam,…" he trailed off in search of the right words to use. Sue and Harry stared at their son, anxiously. "Something happened that _pertained_ Sam," Seth paused again, just to add a bit of a dramatic edge in there. "Pertaining _Sam _and _Emily_." He had really emphasized their name, hoping that his parents would catch on and save him from the embarrassment that had yet to come.

"Well what happened with Sam and Emily?" Sue asked, completely oblivious to what Seth was hinting at. "Is Sam alright?" Emily was sitting at the kitchen, other than having a swollen nose, she seemed fine. Sue thought she had a headache after having the door slammed in her face.

"Gosh," Seth groaned raking his hands down his face out of frustration. He leaned in closer to his parents, and braced himself for the shame that he was about to grace upon them, "Sam and Emily were… you know…" he hinted, "and they were caught by Leah." Sue and Harry shared a look; Harry cocked his head to the side, turned back to his son and asked,

"Son, what in the world are you talking about?"

"Come on dad!" Seth rolled his head, trying to ease the tenseness he felt. "Work with me here… _Sam **and **Emily_," he made the point that Sam wasn't the only one that had taken roll in their infidelity, but it was Emily too. "were… were.." _What was the word his teacher used in sex ed?_ Seth thought. "They were in the middle of sexual intercourse in the kitchen when Leah walked in on them." Seth blurted while he had his pointer finger up, and it was pointing towards the ceiling, as if he made the most genius discovery in the world. He was happy that he had finally found the right words.

Seth's high wore off as he saw the lost expression on his parent's face. Harry was the first to speak, "Haha, that's real funny Seth. How long did it take for you to come up with that one?" Seth saw where Leah got her humor from. Though, Harry was actually laughing genuinely, actually convinced that Seth was joking.

While her husband was laughing boisterously, Sue had pieced the puzzle together. That's why both girls were so distant. Whenever Emily was over, she could be found practically attached to Leah's hip. But when Sue had arrived home, Emily was at the kitchen table, her head resting on her forearm as Harry was informing Sue about Leah's latest feat in worrying him.

Sue was a bit taken over by her outrage at her daughter's foolish actions that when she was inside her bedroom giving her a tongue lashing, she didn't realize how Leah displayed all the emotions of sadness. She didn't realize how red Leah's eyes were, or how puffy they were. Sue scolded herself for not being more observant.

"Sam did _what!_" Sue shouted, feeling the anger rouse through her.

"Sam **and **Emily." Seth corrected his mother once, before heading back up the stairs, leaving his parents to marinate the new latest scandal that involved their daughter and niece.

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I hope you all enjoyed Seth's embarrassment! Gee, I'd hate to have to be in that predicament with my mom. Review! Let me know what you think! Sorry for any mistakes!


	4. Wallow in my own Self Pity

Sorry if there's any confusion, I'm just back tracking a bit in the story, but I do promise the prologue will soon make sense. And to the question about Charlie, I did revise the chapter just a tad bit. I wanted to just create a small relationship with Charlie and the Clearwaters, so it was Charlie, and not Harry. But I do apologize for any confusion at all. I still consider myself a fairly new writer, and though I'm only fifteen, I know it's no excuse, but hope you can cut me some slack XD

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Chapter Three: Wallow in my own Self Pity

Sue and Harry decided it'd be best of Emily had returned to the Makah Reservation for the rest of the summer. Although Sue was furious with her niece, she had to keep the level head in the situation. Her daughter and her niece were both two very important girls in her life, and starting a feud wouldn't be good for the family.

When she was younger, Sue and her sister, Emily's mother, had gotten into an argument over a boy; the two was able to solve their dilemma and vowed to never let a boy get in between them ever again. Sue had hoped that Emily and Leah could do the same. Although, she did think that it would be hard, after Sue was informed by Harry that Emily was Sam's imprint. Sue couldn't help but feel just a bit of pity for Leah. Sue was alongside Leah, when she was worrying about Sam's disappearance. Sue was there when Leah had butterflies on their prom night. Sue witnessed as Sam asked Harry's permission to date Leah, and take her out on their first date. Sue felt her heart drop for her daughter, but she couldn't help the little bit of happiness she felt for Emily. She just wished that things with Sam hadn't gotten to the level it did with Leah, that surely would have saved her daughter from the heartbreak.

Sue knocked on Leah's door. She carried a tray of food in her hand. She peeked a head in to find Leah in the same position she was in four hours ago. In a chair near the window. Leah's hair was a tangled mess, and she was dressed in Seth's clothes. Though she was the older sister, Seth had been going through a growth spurt that caused him to outgrow his clothes.

"Leah honey," Sue spoke. Someone had made the mistake of calling her "Lee," and had a book thrown in their direction, so they all began addressing her by her full name. They weren't quite sure which nicknames they could come up with that didn't overlap with Sam's pet name for her, being that her name was two syllables. "I brought you some food, are you hungry?"

Leah softly shook her head 'no,' in response to her mother.

Sue sat the tray on Leah's desk, and then stood beside the chair Leah was sitting on. She stroked her fingers gently through Leah's long locks of hair. "But you have to eat honey." She pleaded with her teenage daughter. All Leah seemed to do was sleep, wake up, sit in the corner of her bedroom, shower when it got dark, and then the cycle would repeat.

Leah's eyes were locked on her window frame. Sue didn't quite know what she was staring at, but seeing that her daughter was completely unresponsive, worried her. "I'll leave this here, alright Leah, eat it and I'll return to put it away." Sue slid the tray of food onto a tv dinner stand. She exited the room and hugged Harry's chest.

"She'll be alright." Harry reassured his wife as the two stood outside of Leah's bedroom. "She'll be alright.."

* * *

Leah looked at the food her mother left for her. The smell was quite alluring, and if her stomach wasn't growling, she would have convinced herself that she _wasn't _hungry. She picked up the fork, and realized just how weak she felt. When her parents and brother fell asleep, all she did was cry. She cried her eyes out until she saw the sun break through. She'd fall asleep eventually, and if she was lucky, got an hour or two of sleep. She had been sitting in the chair for almost seven hours. She refused to eat breakfast, and lunch. And she hadn't moved when Seth offered her to go for a walk.

The pain in her heart had been subdued with the numbness that blanket her body. She no longer felt the pain in her heart, let alone felt it beating. After finishing her food, Leah sipped from the glass of water. Her perched throat greedily consumed it, for she had been dehydrated for the past two days now.

Sam had tried to come visit her. Twice actually. But the mention of his name only upset Leah, so Harry sent Sam on his way. Harry couldn't fathom the thought of his little girl's heart breaking. He had wanted nothing more than to take her pain away. He even wished that the pain be brought upon him, instead of Leah. Harry didn't like the emotional state Leah was in, it frightened him, just as it did Seth to see Leah so broken.

Though Harry was angry, he knew there wasn't much he could do with Sam. Sam was a shifter, a protector of La Push, and no matter how badly he hurt Leah, Harry knew that it was not at all intentional. Sam had no way on controlling what was happening. Since the Clearwater family has been a part of council for quite some time, Harry remembers the stories of imprinting and the strong bond it has between a couple. His grandfather used to sit them down and recite the story many times before.

Harry had wanted so many times to go and comfort Leah. He was the only one who could break through her exterior, he got her to shower, and he made her eat several times, but his extent only went so far. He remembered when she was little and would do anything he had told her to. Harry conflicted as to how he would get through to Leah. It was like she had multiple barriers up, and he barely even got through the first one. He didn't know how to comfort Leah, she was his daughter, but his once baby girl, was now a woman. This was her first heartbreak, and though he wanted to shelter her from everything, he knew, that Leah, had to go through this and learn from her mistakes. His daughter was no weakling, she would eventually move on from this, and use it as strength. But he wasn't quite sure how long that would take.

Harry sat in the Black's kitchen as he just brought over some lasagna for Billy and Jacob. Since Rachel had left, Sue knew that they would soon run out of leftovers so she had taken it upon herself to keep the Blacks well fed. "How's Leah?" Billy asked. He knew of Sam's imprinting on Emily, and he couldn't help but to feel sadness wash over him as he thought of the heart that broke because of it. Leah Clearwater had grown up with his very own daughters and he couldn't help but to feel a sense of protectiveness over Harry and Sue's kids as well. He was sure they felt the same way about his children, that's why Sue sent over the food. A part of Billy knew it was more for Jacob's well being than his own.

Harry sighed. He offered to take the food to Billy's, wanting to escape from his own thoughts just for a little bit, but he knew Billy was just concerned for Leah. "I haven't seen her in a while." Billy said.

"She's…." Harry wasn't quite sure of what to call it. "Holding up." He concluded.

"Not doing so good is she?" Billy inquired, having two daughters of his own, he had experienced the teenage girl drama before. Though, it wasn't as intense of heartbreak as Leah's, for Rachel and Rebecca didn't maintain a relationship for no longer than a few months.

Harry shook his head. "No," he took a sip of the coffee and looked up at his best friend of many years. "She – she hardly responds to anything…" he confessed to Billy. "And when she does, all she does is eat, and sleep." Billy felt a little twinge of sadness for Leah; she was always such a sweet little girl – a little on the rough side, but sweet nonetheless. She didn't deserve what she had gotten. "She doesn't talk. Seth tries every day, but it's like she doesn't even acknowledge him. Sue and I have to beg her to eat. She sits at the chair by her window every day. She just stares blankly out her window. It's like… she's looking, or waiting for something, but I don't know what. I – I just wish there was something I could do, you know?"

Billy extended an arm and patted Harry sympathetically on the shoulder. "I know Harry. I know."

* * *

Seth walked passed Leah's room for the umpteenth time that day. Each time he did, he'd pause, look into her bedroom, see her in the same spot he did last time, sigh, and then went back to his room. Seth just wished that his sister would return to normal, but given the situation, he knew it would take a while. Leah wasn't quite the person to 'forgive,' and quite frankly she didn't 'forget.' Even though Seth was four years younger than Leah, he couldn't deny the fact that they were close in relation. Their father had always told them, that no matter what, they should be there for each other because family means everything.

"Leeeeah?" Seth called out, but it was more of a question. Her 'hmm?' was barely audible to his ears. "Would you wanna come for a walk with me?" He asked, in a voice that he hoped she couldn't even deny. He had that 'little sibling' charm. Whenever he used that voice, Leah couldn't say no, but it was different this time. She was different.

She shook her head, and he dropped his head in rejection. "Are you sure? We can walk along the beach, or we can," he was suggesting things when she cut him off.

"No Seth." She spoke softly though he could still hear the pain in her voice.

"Alright Leah." He was about to leave, when suddenly he was by her side, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly. "I miss you." He confessed. At his words, Leah couldn't help but to break down. She had tried so desperately hard to keep her tears at bay when her family was near. She didn't like people seeing her so defenseless. But Seth had made her feel like a bad sister.

She felt selfish because while all she wanted to do was just feel bad for herself and sit in her own anger, she was pushing away her little brother. She had always tried to make time for him, even if that meant blowing off some of her girls, but she couldn't help it if she wanted to feel angry. "I-I'm such a bad sister!" She cried out. Seth's heart lurched for her. He didn't mean to make her cry.

"No Leah! You're not!" He shushed her. She clung onto him and he moved her to her bed. It was actually quite freighting how Seth was now stronger than Leah. "I promise you you're not a bad sister." He spoke softly as he soothingly rubbed her back.

Leah cried into his chest, she kept muttering things that he couldn't make out. Instead of saying anything else, in fear that he might upset her more, he kept rubbing small circles on her back.

The sun eventually fell and Leah and Seth had fallen asleep. Leah because she was so comfortable, Seth because he had no choice, he wasn't going to leave his sister in that state and because he didn't want to wake her. Sue and Harry stood in the doorway of Leah's bedroom. Harry leaned down, resting his chin against Sue's shoulder.

"Look at them!" Sue chimed. Her face lighting up with joy.

When they had fallen asleep, Seth was holding Leah. But the sight Sue and Harry saw made them remember of when Seth and Leah were little and Seth would climb into Leah's bed after a nightmare. Seth was curled up in Leah's blanket, almost like a shrimp. Leah was curled up because she was cold and Seth was hogging her blanket. Her arm was stretched out over Seth, almost protectively. The sight was surely something to see and it made Sue's heart flutter with joy to see her children so close.

Although they were growing up, Sue had always kept note that Leah and Seth always made time for each other. They had a sibling bond that made any parent coo with joy. Seth and Leah could be mean to any other person, but when it came to each other, it was as if they were a big pile of marshmallows. They had petty fights, but it always ended with a cute wrestling match followed by a hug. Sue looked at the photo hanging up in the hallway. It was one of Seth sitting on Leah's back as he had her in a loose headlock.

The photo next to it was of when Seth was one, and Leah was five years old. They were at first beach with Harry and Charlie for the day. Leah had been buried so just her head was peeking through the sand. Seth was sitting beside her, a handful of sand and was patting the grains into Leah's hair.

There was another picture, because good things come in three. Though, this picture included not just the Clearwater siblings, but also the Blacks, Quil, and Embry. Seth was sitting in the middle, having been chased and caught in a round of 'duck, duck, goose' and Quil was next to him in the circle. Leah was the chooser for the round, and so they snapped the picture while Jacob was chasing her. Rebecca and Rachel had their heads thrown back in laughter. The twins and Leah had schemed to get the younger boys all out, so they could be declared the winners. Seth and Quil were the first to lose, then went Jacob, and last was Embry.

Sue and Harry had scuffled downstairs, so they could fix up breakfast for their children before they awoke.

Leah shuffled in her sleep, accidently punching Seth in the jaw. He shot up, and fell off the bed because he was tangled in the blanket. The loud thud caused Leah to wake up. She yawned, and slowly sat up. Although she had cried herself to sleep, she for some reason felt better than the previous mornings. Seeing Seth on the floor beside her bed, she leaned over and looked at him, before cocking her head to the side.

"S-Seth? What're you doing?" She asked. Her voice cracked all over the place for she hadn't drunk much water lately.

"Dang Leah! You punched me!" He held his jaw while trying to untangle himself, only causing himself to get in a bigger mess. Leah stifled her laughter, but was still a bit confused.

"What're you talking about?"

"You knocked me in my jaw while you were sleeping! Jerk." He mumbled and then eventually stopped squirming and was able to slip from under the blanket.

"I'm sorry." She apologized. He saw the guilt on her face and shot her a famous Seth Smile.

"Ahhh, don't worry about it! I'm a Clearwater, we _bounce back quick_." He subtly hinted at her.

"I'm sorry I punched you, but maybe you deserved it…" She trailed off causing Seth's face to contort into a mock hurt emotion.

"What are you saying Le-ah?" He put emphasis on her name by separating it by syllables.

"I'm saying if your fatty self wasn't hogging my blanket, maybe I wouldn't have punched you!"

Seth gasped and dramatically rolled his eyes. "Well I'm the younger one! You're supposed to share everything with me." He whined.

"Seth, you wanna share? I'll share. Seriously, but you were full on hogging the damn thing. _And_, there's just some things we don't share, like this for instance." She held up a small blue box, a small smile of amusement tugging at her lips as she watched Seth's expression.

Seth was silent for a moment until he really examined the box. "Ugh Leah! Put that away!" He tossed a pillow at her, knocking her onto her side. The box of tampons fell beside her; all the wrapped tampons sprawled out on the floor.

She was in a fit of laughter as she held one out to him, "but by all means! If you need one, just go ahead, I'll lend you one!" She laughed as he stormed out of her room, shrieking his head off like an angry teenage girl.

"Seth do not slam doors in my house!" Leah made her appearance downstairs right when Seth was being scolded by Sue. "Go take this to Leah," Sue was putting a plate of food on a tray; her back was facing the door so she didn't notice Leah sitting at the dining table. Harry's face was buried in his newspaper and so he was oblivious to Leah as well.

Seth had turned, and saw Leah in her seat. Her hair was brushed neatly, and she was back to wearing her own clothes. Seth broke into a Cheshire smile. Sue had noticed he didn't move, he was just standing there dumbly.

"Seth! Did you even he," Sue cut herself off when she turned to investigate, but then saw Leah sitting at the dining table, awaiting her food.

"Come on Seth, bring me my food." Leah added some humor trying to release the tension on the air. Leah saw Harry lowering his morning paper, and a smile came upon his face.

"Well look who decided to show up this morning." He chuckled.

"Yeah, well I was tired of hiding my face." Leah toyed with her fork.

Seth had placed the tray in front of Leah and took the seat beside her. The Clearwaters didn't really know what came over Leah, but they were all glad to see that she had shrunken out of her gloomy estate. Sue was happy to see her daughter was smiling. Seth had poked Leah's side, causing her to laugh. Harry was secretly hoping that Leah had forgotten about Sam. But he knew that although Leah had a smile upon her face, it was just a façade to please others. Harry knew his daughter well, and he knew that she would go beyond where ends meet to see that her family was happy. Even if that meant hiding her pain so others couldn't see.

* * *

Sorry if chapters are taking a while to come up. I'm updating this before I head off to work and I hope that you all enjoyed it! Review! Review! And I'm trying my best to write and upload chapters for you all before I head back to school in August, I have two science classes this year and I know it'll be rough on me so I'm trying to keep this story updated constantly for you all! xx


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